Fluke Regs - Who was behind it??

[Gerry Zagorski]

Well this is getting really interesting now.. People with differing opinions, pass the popcorn....

IMO if you didn't speak up at the meeting or get involved along the way and just typed it here, your opinion didn't matter.

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by bigjamaica

Hello Dan, just curious, did you comment during the call that night?
I listened to most of it, and commented on sea bass, but, I did not comment on fluke.
I only remember hearing two other party boats from my area commenting. (It's possible there were more but, I did not hear them)
One of them, seemed to liked the slot option that was chosen.
The other one, (who I thought would pick three at 17.5 or greater, said: "he liked the idea of a longer season. However, I don't believe he ever picked an option.
I know from years of attending fisheries meetings there was always a desire, by many people, to have a slot fish. But, we never did get one.
My original intentions were to speak in favor of three fish at 17.5 in.
After listening to many of the comments I decided to abstain, and let's the chips fall where they may.
I would have been fine if they had picked the three at 17.5, but, I can't say that I'm upset at the choice they did make.
BTW, I had no input concerning any of the options, prior to the NJ council meeting. I am currently not on any advisory board, and never have been for fluke or sea bass
To the OP: if there was some "Nefarious plot" to pass the current option vs. 17.5"/3, I don't personally know of any party boats, or real charter boats that would have been behind that.

I had to work a shut downs in a data center that night, so didn’t get to talk at that meeting .
But had discussed with Adam at great length all the negatives of this chosen slot 2 weeks before .

There is no way with all recreational boats targeting 66% of our catch coming from less than 1 “ of age class fish this can benifit us .
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There aren’t enough 17-17.99 fish out of all the fluke in the ocean .

I understand why party boats at first look would like having those fish being thrown back every year available . But what happens when your throwing back lots of larger fish after you reached a limit of over 18” fish . You fish in thirty feet of water hoping to find smaller fish ? .

So as I said in another post 66% of everyone’s catch has to come from a very small portion of all available fluke .

Would be like saying you can only keep see bass from 12 .1” to 13” for 6 of your 10 fish limit . And throw back all the 13.1 to 18” fish that you get in the same area .


.To get a chance at 17 to 17 1/2” fish to give up 66% of what’s available between 17 1/2 and 30 “ IMO a huge loss .
Throwing back larger fish to find 2 short fish , that makes no sense .


IMO The mortality throw back that will be charged against us this year , throwing back both short and large fish is going to effect us for years .

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